Are polish,Araucana and silkies good pets/layers?

[Half a dozen]

The local man I am getting my chicks from on Thursday said he will have four breeds of chicks available just hatched to choose from. Polish, silkies, araucana and I can't remember the other one, I know they can come in lavender though. My daughter is in love with the silkies, I more so like the lavender more traditional looking bird but in that beautiful colour. Do these breeds make good pets/layers for begginers? I was looking on the breeds list on here and it said araucana can be difficult for begginers and experienced owners. I'm just looking for easy going hens and a few eggs lol (the breeder has some experience of sexing, he said he will separate all the chicks he thinks are female for us to choose from and will come by when the chicks are around five/six weeks old and if he sees any are roo's he will take them back and replace what he takes with girls around the same age that he has in his flock)

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

The Araucanas are probably Easter Eggers, as real Araucanas are rare. Easter Eggers are wonderful- you never know what you will get in personality, since it simply means they carry the blue/green egg gene. So they can be any color. I LOVE them. They can be shy/timid, friendly or flighty/nervous. They are very decent layers! They are not as good of a layer as a sex link but I wouldn't want to ever be without them. Generally good with kids.

Silkies lay maybe 100 eggs a year- not very many. They can take up to 6-8 months and beyond to start laying, and then go broody on you, meaning they stop laying and want to set. They are good with kids though.

I have only had one Polish and not for very long- so don't really know about those except that I have read on BYC they can be nervous/surprised easily and bullied by the birds who can see, but may be OK if you have one group that grows up together and they are friends??

The lavender one may be Orpington?
Orps are decent layers but go broody a lot and thus won't give you eggs at the time. They are good generally with kids too. They are standoffish to friendly. The second year of laying you can expect say 10 eggs a day from 20 of them from my experience. They lay quite well their first year.

 

[Half a dozen]

Thanks for the reply, Still good to know for the future as I still want a slikie or a Pekin ,but the local breeder let me down, I have none of those breeds now, now I own 3 Sussex 3 week old hen's! How fast things can change

 

[gander007]

The three you listed are all great chickens to have as friendly easy to work with and Silkies are the best for kids and kids love them for what you want the three you listed are great and where did you read the EE chickens are difficult to work with .........



That is an EE pullet well they all are except the Guinea ......